Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the September 21 Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, editorialized an analysis of the irresponsible Biden tax-and-borrow schemes destroying jobs.

What would you call a neighbor who spent lavishly to

redecorate his house but ignored the badly leaking roof?

Perhaps foolish, irrational, or just plain dumb.

Now, what would you call a Congress seemingly bent on

enacting costly new middle-class entitlements while existing

programs are headed for devastating benefit cuts? Some of

those same words come to mind.

At the end of August, the Treasury Department issued the

annual reports of the trustees for Social Security and

Medicare that showed these trust fund programs are on

schedule to run out of money.

There are very serious fiscal problems, but Congress

instead is focusing on legislation to expand entitlements,

hurting their children in the long run while millions of our

elderly could be thrown into poverty.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years as the global war on terrorism continues moving from Afghanistan to America. Our sympathy to the family of General Colin Powell.

Madam Speaker, it was extraordinary that House Republican Steve Scalise (R-LA) joined Fox News Channel's Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy to discuss how the Democrats' far-left energy policies are hurting families and workers. Whip Scalise pointed out that the Biden Administration's out-of-control spending and radical climate agenda has raised the price of gas, electricity, and groceries for middle class families. In addition, Whip Scalise called out President Biden for canceling the Keystone pipeline and begging OPEC and Russia to increase oil production instead of finding ways to promote American energy independence and create jobs in the United States.

Whip Scalise accurately evaluated that ``ultimately, it's the Biden Administration that's created so many of these supply chain problems starting with the lack of affordable American energy. It's one of the reasons people are paying 40 percent more for gasoline at the pump. It's one of the reasons that prices at the grocery store are dramatically higher. It's because of the policies where they said that they're not against all energy, they're just against American energy.''

He reviewed correctly history, ``You know, when President Biden walked in the door, we were energy independent. We run not only making enough for America's needs. We were exporting to our friends around the world. And so countries that are allies of America could get their energy from us. That's changing. Now, they've got to get it from enemies like Russia. Any by the way, Trey, it's the low-income families that pay the biggest price for the [spike in] inflation that we're seeing right now.''

Whip Scalise concluded, You know, it's this kind of elitist Washington attitude that [says], ``Don't worry. You've got a great career making over $100,000 a year producing American energy in South Louisiana. But, you can go and install solar panels. Which, by the way, you're probably going to be making 40 percent less.'' And go look at what they did with Solyndra. A lot of those solar panels are made in China. When the [Obama] Administration--back when he was Vice President--gave $500 million of taxpayer money to Solyndra, the company went bankrupt in just a few months and the taxpayers lost all that money. In this package of bills, they have over $100 billion dollars in Solyndra-style slush funds to give out money to their friends while crushing the jobs of those hard-working families in South Louisiana.

Our country is fortunate to have Trey Gowdy hosting Sunday Night. Former Congressman Gowdy has an extraordinary prosecutorial ability which he perfected serving as a Solicitor (District Attorney) in South Carolina. His talent for extracting the truth from witnesses in plain English is invaluable in our current era of doublespeak.

Madam Speaker, I was grateful to receive from the appreciated historian Greg Shorey of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the following message . . .

TO: SERIOUSLY CONCERNED PATRIOTS--IT IS IMPORTANT we all

understand how this proposed Budget Bill could seriously

affect us! The details destroy our freedoms & brings our

uncontrolled debt to $30 TRILLION!

As with MOST in Congress, most voters won't take time to

comprehend the devastating affects this $3.5 TRILLION--2500

page budget bill the socialist Democrats are trying to shove

down our throats! This is an excellent way to understand the

math affects--BUT the greater DISASTER will be the death of

our free enterprise system & our Constitutional Republic!

This cuts through all the political doublespeak we get. Politicians `new math.'

It puts it into a much better perspective.

Lesson No. 1:

U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000

Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000

New debt: $1,650,000,000,000

National debt: $19,271,000,000,000

Recent budget cuts: $38,500,000,000

Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's OUR household budget:

Annual family income: $21,700

Money the family spent: $38,000

New debt on the credit card: $16,500

Outstanding balance on the credit card: $192,710

Total budget cuts so far: $385

Got it??

Lesson No. 2:

Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:

Let's say, you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood . . . and you home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings. What do you think you should do? Raise the ceilings, or pump out the sewage?

In conclusion, God Bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years, as the Global War on Terrorism continues moving from Afghanistan to our neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of General Ray Odierno, who passed away over the weekend. I was grateful to have met the General in my capacity as a Member of Congress and fellow veteran, and appreciate his service to our country.

As reported in the New York Post:

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, a New Jersey native and former

Army Chief of Staff, who led the successful ``surge'' that

turned both the tide of battle and American public perception

in the Iraq War, died Friday at age 67.

``The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his

death was not related to COVID,'' his family said in a

statement. There were no further details given.

The Association of the United States Army reported the

general had a lengthy record and did several tours overseas.

``During more than 37 years of Army service, he commanded

units at every echelon, from platoon to theater, and served

in Germany, Albania, Kuwait, Iraq and across the U.S.,'' the

report stated.

Odierno, who rose to the rank of four-star general, served

three tours of duty in Iraq and it was under his command that

elements of the 4th Infantry Division captured Iraqi dictator

Saddam Hussein on Dec. 13, 2003.

``Caught like a rat,'' Odierno famously stated, in one of

the signature moments of America's post-9/11 military

conflicts.

``He was in the bottom of a hole with no way to fight

back,'' Odierno, then a major general, told global media, as

images were broadcast around the world of the once-feared

former dictator being dragged out of hiding by U.S. troops.

Odierno was born Sept. 8, 1954, in Rockaway Township, NJ,

the son of a World War II Army sergeant and working mother. A

star high school athlete, the towering 6-foot-5 inch Odierno

played both baseball and football at the U.S. Military

Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1976.

Odierno was charged by the Bush administration in 2007 with

commanding the controversial so-called ``surge'' in the Iraq

War.

The rapid deployment of tens of thousands of additional

troops proved a success in quelling violence in Iraq and

reducing American casualties and boosted Odierno's profile in

military and global affairs.

He gained further international prominence in 2008, after

replacing Gen. David Petraeus as the commander of the

multinational force in Iraq.

Odierno was known within military circles for his deep

commitment to the Army and to those soldiers, and their

families, killed and wounded in service of their nation.

``Ray firmly believes soldiers aren't in the Army, they are

the Army,'' Army Secretary John McHugh said at Odierno's

retirement ceremony in 2105, the Army Times reported. ``It's

always been his No. 1 job to serve them well and serve them

honorably. Whether it's fighting in Tikrit or visiting a

hospital bed at Walter Reed, he's led with a quick mind,

calloused hands and a servant's spirit.''

Odierno is survived by his wife Linda, who he met in high

school, as well as their three children, including retired

Capt. Tony Odierno, a combat veteran, and their families.

Madam Speaker, on Sunday with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise reviewed how Democrats' anti-work policies destroying jobs resulted in September's disastrous jobs reports:

``. . . look at all the policies under President Biden . .

. the inflation that we are seeing . . . making it easier for

people to stay at home . . . when every employer . . . is

looking for workers--and then on top of that the regulations

that they keep adding . . . going after small businesses,

making it harder to keep the supply chain moving.''

``We've got a 40 percent increase in gas [prices] at the

pump. [The Biden Administration is] begging OPEC to produce

more oil while they shut down the spigots in the United

States. It makes absolutely no sense.''

``Inflation is one of the biggest drivers hurting out

economy and hurting middle class families. Frankly, it's a

big tax on lower-income families.''

In conclusion, God Bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years, as the Global War on Terrorism continues moving from Afghanistan to American neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, last week, in a move that stunned me and my Republican colleagues, the Democrats removed funding for the Israeli Iron Dome air defense system from the continuing resolution. Though I remain hopeful it will ultimately be included in the final package, it is unbelievable that scrapping this essential system was even being considered.

The U.S. and Israel have an alliance mutually beneficial for joint security and Middle East stability of peace through strength.

Israel is under regular rocket attack from the terrorist group Hamas, from Gaza and Hezbollah from Lebanon, and the Iron Dome, a product of U.S.-Israel security cooperation, is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and shells the Iran-sponsored terrorists fire indiscriminately into their country, targeting civilians. Some 4,400 rockets were fired into Israel in May alone, and sadly, tens of thousands more projectiles may be stockpiled.

I have been to Israel and know first-hand the fear of attack felt by their citizens visiting mothers in Sderot who have traumatized children by rocket attacks, and mothers in Jerusalem who have horribly injured children by suicide bombers at Hadassah Hospital. Mass murderers must be stopped. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) makes a difference alerting Americans with the truth by sponsoring conferences with Christian civic leaders as this week with Hope Walker from South Carolina.

So, we must continue to support their security needs as an ally and as a matter of the broader U.S. national security.

In conclusion, God Bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years as the Global War on Terrorism continues moving from abroad to our neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, we are at an extraordinary time in history where inflation is threatening every family.

``At some point, all of us, regardless of party, must ask the simple question--how much is enough? What I have made clear to the President and Democratic leaders is that spending trillions more on new and expanded government programs, when we can't even pay for the essential social programs like Social Security and Medicare, is the definition of fiscal insanity. Suggesting that spending trillions more will not have an impact on inflation ignores the everyday reality that America's families continue to pay an unavoidable inflation tax. Proposing a historic expansion of social programs while ignoring the fact we are not in recession and that millions of jobs remain open . . . . ''

Thank you, Senator Joe Manchin, for your courage. You and WVOC radio talk show host Gary David have exposed insanity.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years as the global war on terrorism continues moving from Afghanistan to our neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, I'm grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge October 10th as Taiwan's 110th National Day, greatly appreciated as Double Ten Day. This year is special to me as the 40th birthday of my son, Julian Dusenbury Wilson.

Taiwan serves as a beacon of freedom and an indispensable strategic partner of the United States in the Indo-Pacific, and the special people-to-people relationships further enrich our lives every day. A few examples of these rewarding ties include:

Trade in U.S. goods and services with Taiwan was nearly $104 billion in 2019.

Trade and investment with Taiwan support over 373,000 American jobs.

Taiwan is the seventh largest source of international students in the U.S., and

Taiwan is my state of South Carolina's tenth largest export market with billion-dollar investments in South Carolina industry creating jobs.

My lifelong appreciation of the people of Chinese heritage was inspired by my father, 1st Lt. Hugh deV. Wilson, U.S. Army Air Corps, 14th Air Force, with the Flying Tigers. He developed an affection for the people of China while serving to protect the citizens of Chengdu, Xi'an, and Kunming in 1944.

I am pleased that the United States and Taiwan remain close allies, and I would like to again wish the people of Taiwan a Happy Double Ten Day.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S.-India partnership is strong and mutually vital. It is strengthened with a vibrant Indian- American community assimilated with fantastic economic success.

We are grateful Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in America to attend the gathering of global world leaders.

Here are a few great examples of our partnership: bilateral trade reached $150 billion; over 2,000 American companies have a presence in India; every U.S. State exports to India, creating over 260,000 jobs; Indian students enrolled in U.S. colleges contributed over $8 billion to our economy.

An effective organization is AMCHAM India, with President Salil Gupte of Boeing, and William Blair, Ranjana Khanna, and Valerie Swope, who work with President KV Kumar of the Indian American International Chamber of Commerce, coordinating with Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina and Consul General Swati Kulkarni in Atlanta.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years as the global war on terrorism continues, moving from abroad to our neighborhoods.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Ted Deutch. I am grateful to be the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism. I appreciate his heartfelt comments.

I also have been to Sderot, and I have seen the example of the terrorist rocket attacks by Hamas from Gaza with Iranian rockets. I have seen the effect on mothers and families. And so this is something that should be addressed, and I appreciate Mr. Hoyer bringing it up. That, indeed, 4,400 rockets, 400 a day. A reason for that is the weakness of the Biden-Harris government. They are putting the people of Israel at risk.

And then I also believe that what we see with Mr. Hoyer, he is being undercut. And I sympathize with him that his political party, the Democratic Party, has become under the influence, extraordinary, bizarre influence of a group of anti-Semites, who also hate the State of Israel. It is very clear, as we saw a few minutes ago, right here, how horrible this is.

In fact, this vote is to cover the mistake of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote in favor of the bill. But this is really a cover by the Democratic Party of the far left movement of their party abandoning the people of Israel.

And so I urge a ``yes'' vote. But this is clearly just to cover a horrible mistake. It is worse than a mistake, a bowing down of extremists within the Democratic Party.

Madam Speaker, I would like to include in the Record my remarks from the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on September 13, 2021.

I am grateful last Monday, September 13th, that there was a bi- partisan zoom appearance of Antony Blinken provided by Chairman Greg Meeks and Republican Leader Mike McCaul. Mr. Blinken sadly revealed he is disconnected from reality of threats to American families at home as I cited in my opening statement:

Thank you Mr. Chairman,

Sir, in my service on the Foreign Affairs committee, the

Global Terrorism subcommittee, the Armed Services committee,

the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the Helsinki Commission,

I have always been impressed by American foreign service

diplomats worldwide. Their dedication to service is

inspiring. That is why I am shocked at your actions

superseding military advice, leading to surrender in

Afghanistan to be a safehaven for murderous terrorists.

Biden-Harris have opened the Southern Border, stopping the

wall of President Donald Trump. This allows identified

terrorists of the Terror Watch List to enter American

neighborhoods as lone-wolf suicide bombers to murder as many

Americans as possible. In American History, American families

have never been at greater risk of attack at home than today,

as the Global War on Terrorism is not over, it has moved from

abroad to American homes.

As the grateful father of an Afghanistan veteran, I

especially see your actions as indefensible. With 12 visits

by me across Afghanistan to thank S.C. Army National Guard

troops, the 218th Brigade, commanded by General Bob

Livingston, I know firsthand they appreciated serving with

their Afghan brothers. I saw the U.S. Agency for

International Development's success in building schools,

agricultural advances, hospitals, roads, and bridges.

My beliefs have been expressed by the New York Post

Editorial Board on September 1st.

Sadly, the advanced military equipment left to the

terrorists is comparable to all equipment provided by America

to Israel since 1948, including drones that are a threat to

Americans. The countries who have suffered the most Islamic

extremist terrorist attacks--India, Israel, and America are

endangered. They shout, Death to America, Death to Israel.

We must never forget the May 8th bombing in Kabul where

Islamic extremist terrorists slaughtered over 80 innocent

young girls. You should have changed course on this gruesome,

revealing fact alone. The murderers of that attack now will

have safehaven to target American families at home.

Your bizarre abandoning of Bagram Airfield led directly to

13 Marines murdered in Kabul. You should resign. I yield

back.

Mr. Speaker, American neighborhoods are under terrorist threat due to the Biden catastrophic blunder of the Afghan surrender with on open southern border. This is not his only failure as inflation undermines American families.

Under Biden, borrowing and spending has already caused inflation to surge to the fastest pace in 13 years, according to the Labor Department. Sadly, we have price increases: Gasoline, 42.7 percent; bacon, 17 percent; chicken, 7.2 percent; fish and seafood, 10.6 percent; eggs, 9.9 percent.

Whatever the increase in wages, inflation has wiped out gains. Americans keep less under Biden. Now, Biden proposes $3.5 trillion in more borrowing, taxing, and spending, which will destroy private sector jobs, add to the debt of younger citizens, and weaken retirement accounts.

In conclusion, God bless our troops who successfully protected America for 20 years, as the global war on terrorism continues moving from abroad to our neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition.

Madam Speaker, as I begin, I was grateful to support the prior amendment that we just had by President Gerry Connolly and also Congressman Steve Chabot, but I oppose this particular amendment.

U.S. troops are in Syria to fight ISIS. They were sent by President Barack Obama pursuant to the 2001 counterterrorism AUMF. The global war on terrorism is not over. It is moving, as we have sadly seen, the terrorist attack last week in New Zealand and as we see the terrorists who are coming across the southern border into the United States.

For years we have worked with our partners on the ground to eliminate the caliphate. We must not leave them behind as they have been brave patriots and could be subject to murderous terrorists.

This mission has been incredibly successful. However, the job is not done. The threat of ISIS against American families and our allies remains. The nations that have faced the most cross-border attacks are India with 60,000 deaths; Israel with--just this year, in the past couple of months--12,000 Iranian rockets by an attack by Hamas from Gaza; and, of course, in America 3,000 persons murdered on 9/11.

Our continued presence on the ground is necessary to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and protecting American families by defeating terrorists overseas.

This shortsighted amendment would prematurely cut short our presence in Syria. Our small force in Syria is incredibly effective and part of the global coalition to defeat ISIS. This is not the time for America to abandon our allies and partners in Syria in the global war on terrorism. None of us want our soldiers overseas longer than absolutely necessary, but forcing a withdrawal too soon only ensures we will have to return as we saw in Iraq when the troops were withdrawn too soon, and U.S. troops had to go in just a few years later to fight ISIS.

In my opinion, we are seeing this play out again, sadly, in Afghanistan as the country is a safe haven for Islamic extremists to provide for suicide bomber attacks on families in India, Israel, and America.

We must avoid a similar situation in Syria. Withdrawals should be based on the defeat of ISIS, not an artificial timeline. We know the success of peace through strength, and we also know of failure by war through appeasement.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, although I would like to point out that I agree very much with my colleague from New York of the appreciation of our Kurdish allies.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Madam Speaker, we are all concerned about the ongoing war in Yemen, including civilian casualties in the conflict with the Houthis murderously using civilians as human shields.

The Iran-backed Houthis continue to launch indiscriminate attacks against the Saudi homeland, threatening Saudi civilians and more than 70,000 American citizens residing in Saudi Arabia.

These murderous attacks target civilians and civilian infrastructure, like the Abha International Airport, causing death, injury, and damage to property. This is an intentional targeting of civilians and is in no way a military target.

The terrorist-supporting regime of Iran is using the Houthis as proxies in the ongoing global war on terrorism.

We cannot forget the pain and suffering that the Houthis themselves have inflicted on the Yemeni citizens with the Houthi brutal subjugation and occupation.

One-sided initiatives that restrict U.S. support for Saudi Arabia, in word or deed, only telegraph more vulnerability that will lead to further attacks by the Houthis. We know the success of peace through strength and the failure of war through appeasement.

It is encouraging that, in recent weeks, the Biden administration's messaging has focused strongly on the Houthis' intransigence in ending the conflict in Yemen, calling on the Houthis to agree to a comprehensive cease-fire immediately.

We must stop terrorists overseas to protect our allies who are targeted by the terrorists. India has lost over 60,000 persons due to cross-border terrorism; Israel, this year, has had to face nearly 12,000 rockets provided by Iran to the Hamas terrorists in Gaza; and, sadly, we noted the 20th anniversary of 3,000 Americans killed on September 11, 2001.

We should be using our longstanding relationship with the Saudis to press them to take every possible precaution to prevent civilian casualties. For nearly a century, there has been a warm cultural, educational, military, and economic partnership with the people of Saudi Arabia.

But this amendment is too far detached from the sad realities of the Houthi attacks across the border and in Yemen. The drones and rockets have been provided by the terrorist-sponsoring regime of Iran, which oppresses its citizens and defames the extraordinary heritage of Persia.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to reiterate and join, actually, with my colleagues to point out that it has been encouraging in recent weeks that the Biden administration has changed its messaging to strongly focus on the Houthis' intransigence in ending the conflict in Yemen and calling for the Houthis to agree to a comprehensive cease-fire immediately, as we also recognize, again, that we have had a 100-year relationship with the people of Saudi Arabia that has been so mutually beneficial for the people of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and our allies.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition, with the great appreciation of our chairman, Greg Meeks--great appreciation, even if I disagree.

We are all concerned about the ongoing war in Yemen, including the civilian casualties in the conflict due to the Houthis using human shields.

However, sadly, many are focused disproportionately on Saudi Arabia while the Iran-backed Houthis continue to terrorize the people of Yemen and launch intentional, indiscriminate attacks against the Saudi homeland of innocent civilians, where 70,000 Americans live and work.

We need to be aware of how the rhetoric in America regarding Saudi Arabia and the Yemen war empowers the Houthis to engage in further aggression with the murderous, intentional attacks on Saudi citizens, using drones and rockets provided by the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran, which oppresses its citizens and defames the extraordinary heritage of Persia. Iran perpetuates the ongoing global war on terrorism.

It is encouraging that, in recent weeks, the Biden administration's messaging has strongly focused on the Houthis' intransigence in ending the conflict in Yemen, calling on the Houthis to agree to a comprehensive cease-fire immediately.

Additionally, the President already announced his plan to end U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen, including relevant arms sales.

We should wait and see the results of this new policy before adding further legislative restrictions. We should be using our longstanding relationship with the Saudis to press them to take every precaution against civilian casualties. For nearly a century, there has been a warm cultural, educational, military, and economic partnership with the wonderful people of Saudi Arabia.

While the amendment contains specified exceptions, it does not address the core challenge of trying to rehabilitate the U.S.-Saudi partnership while trying to improve Saudi actions with respect to civilian protections as Houthis murderously use human shields.

I do not think this amendment helps protect our national security interests in the Middle East, nor will it measurably change Saudi actions. We should be standing for the success of peace through strength and not the failure of war through appeasement.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I will disagree with Chairman Ted Deutch. Usually, we agree.

Additionally, I disagree with Chairman Greg Meeks, but I do appreciate the chairman's recognition of the Iranian and Houthi drone attacks on civilian communities where large numbers of Americans live.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I always look forward to the annual bus tour of South Carolina's Second Congressional District. Our bus tour began with a meeting with U of SC Aiken Chancellor Daniel Heimermann at the Savannah River National Laboratory led by Dr. Vahid Majidi and regional academia partners. Then we headed to Woods Farm Market in Aiken, owned by Pamela Johnson Ely, where new jobs have been developed.

The next stop was the Aiken Rotary Club under the leadership of President Mallory Holley and then the Central States Manufacturing facility in Graniteville for a wonderful tour led by General Manager Rick Neely. Our team also stopped by Cavalier's Coffee, a local small business just developed by David Brannon with plans to add jobs in North Augusta. We ended our day at beautiful Aiken State Park hearing from the wonderful folks at South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism hosted by Paul Mcformack, Joy Raintree, Aaron Chavous, James Studdarb, Samantha Queen, Justin Hancock, Steve Beckham, Mary Ann Keisler, and Mark van der Linden.

Day two began with a townhall hosted by the Irmo Chamber of Commerce, which is capably led by Kerry Powers. I appreciated the chance for open and honest conversations about issues currently facing our country. Then, the team received a tour of the new Piney Woods Elementary School in Chapin under the leadership of Principal Cassy Paschal. We also toured the state-of-the-art UPS Air Hub facility at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia with Kim Barbery. She is the Operations Training Manager of an impressive facility with great staff producing over 2,000 jobs. I was grateful to co-author with State Senator Kay Patterson the legislation to incentivize UPS to locate in Lexington County.

Day three started with a tour of the beautiful Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, greeted by President and CEO Tommy Stringfellow. Next, we stopped at TerraStride and met with Founder and CEO Lanford Holloway, whose leadership has made TerraStride one of the fastest growing tech companies in South Carolina. Afterwards was a visit to Fort Jackson for a briefing on the Army Combat Fitness Test, led by Brigadier General Patrick R. Michaelis. We ended day three with a visit to Thermal Technologies in Blythewood, where founder Jim Lentz has revolutionized the fruit ripening industry, particularly for bananas.

On the final day of the bus tour, I stopped at the world-class Government Training Institute in Barnwell, led by President Von Bolin. Then, we made our way to Tommy Shealy's restaurant, Shealy's Bar-B-Que, a tradition that I look forward to every year. Our bus tour concluded with a warm welcome from Orangeburg Mayor Pro-Tem Liz Zimmerman Keitt, and a tour of the new Orangeburg VA Clinic and adjacent Orangeburg Recreation Center. It was inspiring to see the great work by Gregg Robinson and his team at Orangeburg County Development Commission to attract new business to South Carolina. The legislative achievements of Senator Tim Scott, with President Donald Trump, has led to building opportunity zones specifically designed to create jobs.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

Madam Speaker, during my service in Congress, I have concluded over 500 one-minute speeches with ``God Bless our Troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.''

This reaffirmed my appreciation of our military for keeping Americans safe for 20 years. The 2,312 U.S. military personnel killed and 20,666 wounded in Afghanistan did not serve in vain. I know firsthand of the achievements of former S.C. Adjutant General Bob Livingston with the 218th Brigade across Afghanistan. I am a grateful dad of an Afghanistan Veteran with First Lieutenant Hunter Wilson. But my hopes for remembering September 11th were misplaced. The conquest by the Taliban and Al Qaeda this past week confirms that the shocking lesson of September 11th has been forgotten: it is possible to conduct a terrorist attack on American families at home from a cave in Afghanistan abroad resulting in the mass murder of 2,977 innocent souls.

General David Petraeus is sadly correct, the war is not over. It has moved. Now it is closer, putting American families at the greatest risk of a terrorist attack ever, with chants of ``Death to America, Death to Israel.''

President Joe Biden undercut our Afghan allies on April 14th, removing air cover and intelligence reports against the advice of military leaders. Over 60,000 Afghan military and police have been killed fighting Taliban terrorists. Former Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a valued resource of experience in the Global War on Terrorism, correctly asserted that the situation is ``catastrophic.'' President Biden must change course immediately and accept military counsel or he will be further diminished as a personification of catastrophic failure in the horrific tradition of appeasement like Neville Chamberlain.

In conclusion, God Bless our Troops and we should never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.